A fluidic microenergy generator enabled by hybrid nanomaterial nanofluids

Nanofluid, a type of fluid with dispersed nanoparticles, has been studied and used as a direct absorber of solar or thermal energy for the past years. Herein, a fluidic energy generator enabled by a new type of nanofluid is developed, which has also been used to power a thermistor successfully. This type of nanofluid contains single-walled carbon nanotube-CuS nanoparticles (SWNT-CuS NPs) hybrid nanomaterial. Experiments found it has a significantly enhanced capability for the absorption and storage of the solar thermal energy compared to water. The fluidic energy generator enabled by 50 μL nanofluid can generate output voltage up to 100 μV, and thus can operate small electronic devices or sensors by directly converting the solar thermal energy into electricity.